


If you wanted a soft serve you should have got ice cream

by reighchama



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Future AU, M/M, Seasons of Anime Exchange 2020, SofA 2020, Tropes, future/timeskip, timeskip au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:19:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reighchama/pseuds/reighchama
Summary: Azumane goes off to college, Nishinoya goes to a different college... how will they meet again? This short story will tell you!
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6
Collections: Seasons of Anime Exchange 2020





	If you wanted a soft serve you should have got ice cream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ota](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ota/gifts).



> I'm Trying hard to get back into writing so I keep signing up for these exchanges and they're always a different kind of challenge. This story was like pulling teeth while I wrote it, but I'm really happy with it! I hope you are too !

Nishinoya Yuu sighed dramatically and fell face first into the cushions. His mumblings were almost incoherent, but he did manage to keep his cell phone beside his face as he moaned his despair to the cushions—and of course to Tanaka.

“Whaa dz tthms hmpp to me!?”

“Bro, get your face out of your couch. I have no idea what you just said!”

Noya flopped onto his back and exhaled loudly. “Tanaka—Taannnaakkkaaaaa! I said why does this happen to me—I ju-”

His line was interrupted. “Oh, do you mean get scouted and SELECTED for Japan’s National team and train through JT Thunder with a FULL SCHOLARSHIP?”

“YES! I mean well... argh, nooo. Not the point—I mean, why did I have to fail my sport elective? Now I need to take a spring break course so I can stay on the team, AND I have to get an B+ so I can play in the summer tournaments. Tanaka—they need my rolling thunder—I just…. It’s not fair! School shouldn't stop me!” 

“Pfft. Bro, stop being so entitled. Just choose an artsy easy course or something. You don’t even have to stay all the way in Hiroshima, you could take a course here! At Miyagi or something!” Tanaka’s voice grew steadily louder and more excited as he completed his statement. 

“YES! TANAKA BLESS YOUR SOUL that is an amazing idea!!! I can even visit my Grandpa. He’s been babysitting our old neighbour’s granddaughter, Akira! I haven’t seen them since I left two years ago!” 

“You can take your smart best friend out for Ramen when you get here as a thank you for the great suggestion.” 

“Hey now—I didn’t agree to that!” 

“You shoouuuuuld, didn’t I do you a solid Noya? You can see me, your mom, your sis, and maybe a few of the Karasuno team who didn’t also get scouted by big name teams like you.” 

Trapped, Noya groaned. “Uuuugghh finnnnneeee ramen then, but ONLY a size medium! I can’t afford your XXL extra spice mountain hot ramen, dude.” 

A gasp was heard through the phone, and if Noya knew him correctly Tanaka was holding his chest one handed with his head thrown back. “You still know my order?! You sap, that almost makes up for you being so damn cheap.”

For a bit they chatted and caught up which led to Tanaka gushing about his newest crush. 

“She sits in the front row of my economics class Noya, she has hair for days!”

“Well then just ask her out, loser!” 

“I... I can’t just ask her out, like that—it has to be perfect.” 

Laughter was still in his mind as he finished up the call with Tanaka, Noya got ready for bed, already thinking of what courses he might be able to sign up for spring break back home. 

The next morning with the sun on the horizon and two cups of coffee beside him, Noya tapped a pencil thoughtfully to his lips while scrolling through his laptop, looking at student reviews for some of the courses close to this home town. 

“Hm, well I already failed a sport specific elective, so maybe I SHOULD do something more artsy like Tanaka said... Something that everyone says they’ve passed, and it was super easy!’

“Hm, okay I can’t draw so anything that means painting or drawing is a deff no, no. Maybe something with building? Like carpentry…” He spent a few moments looking at the reviews for the carpentry course he had found.

_ You learn a lot but it’s really hard!.....Mr. Hyoshi is a hard marker! Don’t take this course! ……Look at this cabinet I built…. _

“Hmmm nope! Not easy enough! I need to change up my search. I”ll just add + easy to it.” 

After spending most of the day looking at courses, Noya wanted to rip his hair out. Why couldn't he just find an easy summer course!?” 

“Blaaaaahhhh, ugh, hmph!” He thumped his head against his desk, making sure to miss the plate and just stayed there for a while in mild despair. 

Eventually he got a ping on his phone, and he sighed and reached out blindly to the left, patting the desktop until he found his phone. 

Huh. it was a text from Tanaka. Usually that loser just called him.

He swiped up and saw a link, so he clicked it open and found that took him to a course. It was graphic design? He was pretty good with computers and had decent (ish) fashion sense… “Introduction to Sport Apparel Marketing. ” At least it was sports related!

He sent off a quick text to Tanaka saying that it sounded lame and difficult—Noya literally shuddered reading the work marketing—but that he would look into it. 

Then he started to read through the reviews: 

_ ‘This course was so much fun! We learned a lot and actually played games in class…..Easy course and learned a lot….the TA basically runs the course I don't think I saw the professor at all...don’t do this course if you don't like sports _ — _ I thought it was colour matching and patterns but you get a lot of useless sport knowledge ….the TA is super cute too and he has such luscious hair…’ _

Noya sent off a quick text reply. ‘Thanks bro. This looks legit. I'm going to do this one’ 

‘See ya next month loser! I can’t wait for that ramen!’

Sighing, but with a smile on his face, he started filling out the paperwork for the course, and the paperwork to send to his coach, and the paperwork to send to his educational advisor, and the paperwork to enroll in the course… 

“AAAHHHH I hate paperwork!” 

\----

Noya was quivering in excitement. He hadn't seen his grandfather or his Karasuno friends in so long! There were the North American tournaments in the summer, and then the Australian and East Asian tournaments around Christmas, plus his school work, so he just hadn't had a chance to go home and see his family. 

‘Huh. maybe failing that stupid elective will be good for me...’

Noya bounced out of his seat and was waiting for the train’s doors, tapping his foot as he waited for the train to stop and the doors to slide apart. What felt like years later he felt the train slowing and saw “Miyagi General Station” tab flash. He dashed out the moment he and his bag could fit through the door. He raced past the orderly line of people all trying to get onto the train, and left the station as fast as he could. 

“Noya!” 

“Umph!” Noya took a step back to absorb the shock that was little Akira, who had flung herself into his waist for a hug. He picked her up, spun her around, hugged her close to his chest, and then peppered kisses all over her face.

Laughing and squealing in delight, she started to push at his face. After a short while he finally put her down and she wrapped an arm around his waist and stayed glued to his side. 

Noya looked up and felt pride at the love and endearment he felt in his grandfather's gaze. He went to open his mouth, but his grandfather beat him to it: 

“I’ve missed you a lot, had to start taking care of this young devil to keep me on my toes. Though I’m certain she will be taller than you in no time. You haven’t grown an inch since you’ve left!”

Spluttering, “I... Grandpa that’s a lie! I’ve grown almost 2 inches!” 

Noya doged the hand that went to ruffle his hair, and swooped down to pick up and then swung the little girl onto his back and started on his way back home, with his grandfather falling in step beside him. And if he was standing with his hips out and shoulders squared to make sure his head was taller than his grandpa... Well, that was only for him to know. And he ignored the smirk on the old man's lips as he took in his posture. 

\----

Fixing his backpack, he got off the bus that dropped him off at the campus, and started his way towards his class. He was so happy that he managed to spend another evening with Tanaka, his sister Saeko had dropped him off and she made such a ruckus drawing so much attention that he was glad of the quiet on the bus. He could understand a loud personality - I mean he was one! But there's loud.. And then it is too loud. Or maybe his time away has made him forget their little quirks like that. ..

Either way, he was glad to be taking the bus and no longer in a car with them. 

He looked back down to his phone and followed the directions to the graphic design building on campus. He ignored the butterflies in his stomach, lifted his chin, and ran the rest of the way just because he could.

Then he sat outside for 10 min to catch his breath and not look like a sweaty mess before going into the class. 

Upon entry he noticed that most of the tables were already occupied, so he hurried to a spot with a plug, pulled out his laptop, notebook and pens before waiting for the professor or TA to join the students and start the class. 

The rest of the students slowly filed in and took their seats. Noya noticed that most of them were chatting together, and there were a bunch of cute girls sitting in the front of the class.

He thought that was weird, as usually the cute girls sat in the back. Or maybe he was just used to the girls in his program. Who knows? He had never really understood girls all that well anyways. 

He was broken from his musing as a door near the front of the classroom flung open, banging against the wall with a loud thud.

It must have been the person leading the class, because they had a pile of printed out premade packages. They were pretty tall, most likely a masters student, or at the very least a senior. 

“Ah… Ugh dropped my pencil!” Mumbling to himself, he reached under his desk where he dropped his pencil just as the person was starting to speak. 

“Ah- Hello Everyone I am Mr. Azum—”

Noya jolted and hit his head when he heard the voice—no way it was Asahi. Did he even have any right to call him that? He hadn't spoken to him since he left Karasuno the full year before he himself had. 

“Ah—are you alright? You should get your head checked by the nurse after class.” 

Noya straightened himself from his bent over position and threw together his bravado. 

“Nah, I have a thick head, been hit too many times with a volleyball, but thanks for thinking of me Mr. Azumane” 

“Oh! Yu—I mean Mr. Nishinnoya. I’m glad you're okay! You’ll need your head to pay attention to the course at hand!” 

They made eye contact for a few mere seconds before Asahi swept his eyes over the class and began to teach the course. 

And if Noya was over thinking things and thought that Asahi’s eyes lingered on him more often in class, well that was his own paranoia to deal with. 

He paid attention as much as he could, but it had been a couple years since Noya saw him last, and like… Asahi had always looked older, but now the features suited him better. He was more filled in. He still had that rugged and handsome look—even still had that man bun—and he had definitely kept with working out. He looked more like a rugged bad boy than a scary yakuza guy like he used to. 

Noya did wait a bit after the class but the cluster of girls at the front had crowded Asahi with questions all while twirling their hair and giggling so much that suddenly he didn't feel the desire to chat him up anymore—clearly he had the girls doing that for him. 

He threw the bag over his shoulder and left the class, purposely not looking behind him. If he had then maybe he would have seen Asahi’s eyes track him as he left the classroom. 

\---- 

Noya was almost asleep on the bus back to his place when his phone got a ping. 

**_‘Hey - Hope this is still Yuu, let's catch up after the next class? Ramen, on me’_ **

**_‘oh this is asahi in case you were wondering’_ **

**_‘I really hope this isn't a stranger’_ **

Noya snorted to himself. What a goofball. He re-read the messages and his smile turned more genuine. Asahi must have matured a lot—he would have been a ball of anxiety even thinking about reaching out to a potentially strange number.

**_‘Hey Ace! It’s still me indeed, the libero here to save the day!’_ **

**_‘catching up sounds great, I’m here for the duration of the course’_ **

**_‘Yuu! Seeing YOU there was a surprise! I don’t get the class list until right before class. And I don’t generally take attendance anyways so it was a very pleasant surprise to see you. it almost threw me off my whole rhythm, but I got back on track fairly quickly. even with you there distracting me’_ **

“...is he flirting with me..?” 

Noya startled as the older lady sitting beside him spoke up. “If you want ‘em to be then they are. Simple as that. Now start flirting back. You’re only young once.” 

Well, he could certainly try. They texted back and forth, testing the waters, and also just generally chatting and making each other laugh. 

Thursday could not come fast enough. 

.-----

Thursday came too fast. His childhood tendencies to be afraid of everything seemed to have reared its ugly head. He could barely breathe, his chest was so tight. He hadn’t even been this nervous when he stepped onto the court with Team japan! 

Shaking his head, he slapped his face and messaged Tanaka. 

**_‘When did Asahi get so hot?’_ **

**_’NEW TOPIC, this is ALL we talked about last night at Ramen’_ **

**_‘Not fair! I listen to your girl's troubles all the time!’_ **

**_‘difference: Trouble. Asahi and you were like in the freakin stars. This is like a anime trope irl bro’_ **

**_‘no’_ **

**_’yes’_ **

**_’no’_ **

**_’yes. Best friends torns apart by time, randomly find each other in the most likely place’_ **

**_‘shut up’_ **

**_‘Hah. Go to class learn some shit - you still have to pass so you can participate in your next set of w.e tourneys’_ **

**_/_ ** **_🖕 /_ **

**_/_ ** **_😼 /_ **

Sighing, he pocketed his phone and looked out of the bus window. He was about 2 stops away from the campus, and then a 10min walk to the correct building. Then he has to sit through an entire class. Hungry. He wanted to stay hungry for ramen later, but also too nervous to eat. 

“I should at least have had a granola bar or something…” Shouldering his bag, he stood up and walked to the door to get off at his stop. He recognized a few of his classmates, but they had their heads down and headphones in, so he just followed behind them at a leisurely pace. 

Before he knew it, he was setting up his laptop in the same spot as before. It seemed that the seats they claimed the first day were the assigned seats now. It was so different from his sport classes, where everyone swapped seats and chatted with whomever they walked in with, or who they wanted to copy off of. 

_ Ping! _

Looking at his phone, he saw a message from Asahi.

**_‘you can wait outside if you want, I’ll probably be stuck answerings questions at the end of class again’_ **

**_sounds good! I’ll wait for my ace’_ **

**_‘Hah. Good. now put away your phone! class is starting!’_ **

Then the door opened and Ashahi arrived, commanding the class even as a TA in a light-hearted way, but keeping everyone's interest piqued while he talked about graphic design and how different colours could intimidate while other colours could make teams feel insecure… 

‘I guess that's why so many teams have red and black logos...’ 

He dutifully typed out what was being said. Tanaka was right, he did need to pass the course and do well in it so he wasn't benched again! He had already gotten a bunch of messages from his manager and teammates berating him for missing out on the practice tournaments they are participating in now, while he was stuck here in class. 

Then he caught Ashahi’s eye and smiled a bit. Well, at least it wasn't all bad. He had something else to look forward to instead. Class felt both too long and too short for his liking. Noya hovered at his desk for a short while, but when Asahi did indeed get swarmed by (the mostly female) students, Noya left the class and sat in the hall. He booted up a game on his phone and set in to wait (and distract himself). 

Which must have worked too well, because the next thing he knew a shadow was covering his screen. He looked, and up some more and saw Asahi standing there, a small, slightly nervous smile on his face and his hand twitching on his thigh.

And it stung a bit, not knowing what every single mannerism of his meant anymore. 

“Asah—erm. Uh, Mr.Azumane! It’s been forever!” Noya stood up, a blush covering his face. What a start to this conversation. 

“Ahaha, oh! Call me Asahi… Noya.” 

Noya nodded in response to that. 

“Ramen?”

“Ramen! Which place are you taking me to? A working man like you better not cheap out, Asahi!” 

A spluttered laugh followed that comment. “Working man! Hah, more like an enslaved worker to the education system! I have to pay for my courses somehow, not everyone can get a full ride scholarship for Team Japan like YOU, Noya!” 

Noya preened a bit at that. “Well, the best and all that! Hahaha. Are you still playing volleyball? University team? Pick-up? Adult league?” 

“I’m in an adult league. A lot of our old rivals and team members are spread apart; it has created a lot of different tensions and odd rivalries. It’s interesting to see.” 

The two continued to catch up as they walked to the Ramen place just off of campus. They grabbed their orders, sat and chatted for a few hours, catching up, and talking about anything and everything under the sun. And flirting. Don’t forget about the flirting. Noya did not know that Asahi was such a smooth pun master! 

The moments of laughter and chatting up were great Noya was more than pleased. But the moments where the laughing tapered off and they simply stared at each other, hands grasped - well those moments made him blush.

Unfortunately, they finished and slowly headed back towards campus and the bus terminal. 

Noya’s small hand curled more into Asahi’s large one, swinging gently. Noya took a startled breath when he was tugged a little closer, Asahi’s warm arm slipping along his waist instead. 

“So, will I have to wait until the next class, Noya, or can I see you again sooner?” 

“Sooner please! Haha.” 

They both stepped a bit closer, and Noya tugged Asahi down by his coat lapels. Asahi’s lips were soft and inviting. Nishinoya may have kissed him first, but Asahi was the one in control. He swept his arms around Noya’s waist, tugging him in closer. Eventually they just stood there in a loose embrace.

“Definitely sooner, with an ending like that! Good to know you’re not just a bad boy in looks... kissing on the first date… didn’t think you had it in you!” 

“Had to take some courage thinking of my favourite liberio,” he teased. “Now let's get going so we can make some plans for tomorrow. I’ll see if I can’t get permission for the Team Japan Liberio to play in my adult league for a game or two.”

“Really? That would be great! I haven't practiced with anyone in like a week.” 

“A whole week! How sad!”

They both laughed as they made their way to their separate buses. After they parted ways, Noya walked not even ten paces before he ran back over to Asahi, grabbed his hand, and spun him so that they were facing each other.

The very suave and smooth statement he had circling through his mind is not what came out of this mouth. Instead it was: 

“I... I like you Asahi Azumane—I have, ever since I first saw you spike a ball, and I am so happy we got to meet up again like this!” 

Asahi smiled a sweet smile, hiis signature smile, and it did dangerous things to Nishinoya’s heart. 

“I like you too Nishinoya Yuu.” 

“Good.”

“Good, now off you go. I see your bus coming” 

“See you tomorrow!” 

He ran off laughing to catch his bus, waving to Asahi, and the bus went past the waiting older ace. 

His phone dinged 

**//** **Are you a three-point pass? Because you're perfect//**

Noya snickered a bit, blushing to himself he replied;

**/I dig you /**

The chat continued full of puns causing Noya to laugh to himself - he was sure the people on the bus thought he was a bit crazy. He didn’t care. 

He was so happy he had failed that course now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhat inspired by avatarstates “to see you again” https://archiveofourown.org/works/24820978


End file.
